


The Confrontation Alternative

by Nebuleste



Category: The Big Bang Theory (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-16
Updated: 2014-03-22
Packaged: 2018-01-16 00:16:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1324621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nebuleste/pseuds/Nebuleste
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A certain theoretical physicist has his life saved by a Nebraskan blonde who he has never met before, and things escalate from there. AU & OOC</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Penny

"To burn with desire and keep quiet about it is the greatest punishment we can bring on ourselves." -Federico Garcia Lorca

"That's the last of it." Penny said as she placed one of the lighter boxes on the floor before shutting the door behind her. Tyler made walked behind the couch to his blonde girlfriend and slipped his right arm behind her waist. He was almost a foot taller than her, enabling him to rest his chin on the top of her head. They stood in silence and enjoying the peacefulness of the environment. "Thank you for coming with me to Pasadena."

Tyler leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I'm just worried that the whole acting thing might not work out so well for you. It's hard making it big but it doesn't kill you for trying, right?" Penny sighed at his comment. She was thankful that he moved down to California from Nebraska with her, helping her with the costs at the same time. Though she was a bit annoyed whenever he mentions how she might not be successful as Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston, or Sandra Bullock. All her life, she dreamed of having her name shown on the small screen, big screen if she was lucky.

Living in Omaha wasn't helping her acting career at all. She only appeared on stage at high school productions, and was twice casted for a lead role. If she wanted it to work, she needed to move out of her parents' home and chase her dreams in California. For months, she had planned her life accordingly when she sets foot in the city of angels. She looked up different acting classes and agents back home. Penny decided that she was going to take a waitressing job at the Cheesecake Factory for at least six months before, if it works out as she hopes, becoming a big star. She made arrangements to start her job when she arrives, wanting to earn as much money as possible.

She felt bad for taking some of Tyler's money to further her career. They were dating for almost seven years, meeting at some restaurant the day she graduated high school. Her parents wanted her to attend college and get a degree. She did enroll college, but she failed most of the classes and dropped out soon after. Penny took up small parts in several plays, and those roles didn't really do much to her resume. When Penny tried to convince Tyler to come with her to California, she expected him to break up with her at that exact moment. He wasn't the type of guy to drop everything he has worked for just for some aspiring actress. His father was the CEO of a company and had hired him to manage one of the smaller offices. Penny, while she waited for callbacks that never seem to came, worked as a secretary for him.

Tyler's family wasn't really happy about him being in a relationship with a college dropout failure with nothing to lose. At first, they forbade him from seeing her; suspicious that she was only after the money. After he introduced her to the family and spent more time with them, they had grown to accept her, but had thought that she wasn't the right one. Penny couldn't take the money that he was about to spend to renew their lives with her, and before they moved, she began to doubt if he truly wanted to leave everything behind. Tyler promised her that he would do anything, and he was arranged to work at one of the offices his dad owned in California.

Things started to fall in their places, and she couldn't be any happier. Here she was on the west coast with a man that deeply cared for her and even though he wasn't as supportive as she wanted him to be, it was enough for her for him to help her financially. She unboxed all of the framed pictures first and smiled while seeing the captured memories that she would love to relive. "What do you want for lunch?" Tyler asked, as he opened one of the heavier boxes containing their bed frame.

"I can't eat lunch with you, remember? I'm starting my first shift in a few hours, and I just want to take a nap before leaving." Penny sighed. As much as she wanted to have lunch with him, she needed to start working as soon as possible. Moving out here made her less lazy, and she was actually anticipating work. She didn't know what was in store, but she hoped it was easy like her secretary job back at home. "Can you drop me off to work though? I still hadn't made time to rent a car."

Tyler nodded. "Do you want me to pick you up as well? What time does your shift end?" Penny thought for a second, trying to remember her schedule.

"I'm pretty sure it ends about four in the afternoon." They took a seat on the couch and Tyler's phone chimed, telling him that he had received an email.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm not going to be able to pick you up. The guys at the office want to meet me as soon as possible and I really want to start off with a good impression for them. I'll try and cancel." Tyler started to type another email.

Penny held his wrist tightly, causing him to look up at her. Tyler was muscular, like some of the meat heads she dated before, but he usually kept them hidden beneath businessmen type suits. It made him look more professional. "It's alright. I'll take the bus. Besides, I need to get used to navigating Pasadena on my own before I get a car. It's also a couple minutes away, and I don't mind."

"Fine. But be careful out there. Who knows what danger is in this city. You call me during your break and when you get home, okay?" Tyler requested. He was really concerned with her safety. She smiled and promised him. "Good."

"Okay. Excuse me, I have to take a shower. All this moving is making me feel gross and worn out." She kissed him before dashing into the shower, leaving Tyler to think to himself alone in the living room, surrounded by the yet unopened boxes. Maybe this wasn't a bad idea after all, he muttered under his breath, hearing the sound of the water turning on.

Penny stood in front of the mirror, not enjoying the uniform that she had to wear as a waitress. Her shift started in five minutes, and she already had been told what to do. It seemed simple for her; take the customers' order, request the order in the kitchen, bring the food to the customers, and give them their check when they finished. She was being paid minimum wage, and needed the tips to be big in order to earn enough to pay off a fraction of what Tyler has given to her.

Because of her secretary job, she was able to interact with the customers and sometimes have a little side conversations. Her previous job made her good with people. The tips were fine to her, and she could probably get used to herself being a waitress. Then after the third hour, everything started to go downhill. It was a Saturday, and more families came out to eat. The children were messy and some even throw food at her. Some of her tables needed her to enter the bar area, where most drunk guys would hit on her or even try to touch her. She ran back and forth from table to table, and was very lucky that she didn't mix up any of the orders.

At the end of the day, she was glad she that her shift was finally finished and she could go home. She made about $90 in tips, and she was thinking of having the dinner shift instead, not wanting to endure having little kids create a big mess or having no one come at all during the breakfast shift. It was about four thirty when she left the restaurant, and the bus stop was a few blocks away. She had a half an hour to spend before the bus arrived, but decided to head to the stop.

She was walking down the streets with a purse in hand and a bag with her Cheesecake Factory uniform that she wanted to throw out or burn so much. It was unflattering and uncomfortable. The uniform was a bit larger for her size, and it caused her to look bulky. The sun was unbearable and she wished that Tyler was available to pick her up, regretting her decision earlier. Penny fished her phone out of her purse, only to be devastated to learn that it had died after forgetting to charge it before she took a nap.

Some of the items behind the window stole her attention. One of which was a shoe store; a very expensive one, too. She fought back and forth before deciding to enter the store and look around. Inside it was air conditioned, and once she walked inside, the cool air brushed off all the sweat away. She pictured herself in every shoe that she thought that was cute. Most of them were really pricey and she could only dream of seeing herself wearing them paired with a matching dress of some sort. Enjoying herself in what she can call "paradise," she forgot that the bus was coming and only five minutes before it was due to arrive was when she started to run to the bus stop.

It had already stopped and she watched passengers get off the bus as new ones waited in line. She ran as fast as she could, almost tripping on the way. Penny began to yell, asking the bus to stop, but it was no use. It pulled into traffic and began to move down the street. She stomped her feet and sighed in exasperation. If it hadn't been for the gold paid of stilettos calling out her name, she could have made it earlier. Without her phone, she was unable to look up the next time the bus would come, so she decided to just wait for it. The buses in Nebraska came once an hour, surely buses in Pasadena should also be.

What she thought would be an hour, turned into two hours, and she was getting impatient. A young business woman was strutting down the street with a phone in hand and a cup of coffee on the other. When she was close enough, Penny asked her to search up the time the bus would get there. The woman's face was mixed with annoyance and disgust, probably not liking the smell of sweat and the messy look Penny had. The day became worse when the woman told Penny that the buses wouldn't stop here anymore because a couple blocks down the Cheesecake Factory, a pipe had burst and they redirected all public transportations to a different route. It was already six pm, and the sun was beginning to set. If she wanted to be home before dark, which was clearly impossible, she had to walk forty minutes to her apartment starting now.

The air was getting cooler by the minute, and she was glad she wasn't sweating anymore. Penny told herself to rent a car tomorrow, afraid of having this to occur once more. She followed the route that Tyler took her, but she was till unfamiliar so she had to stop once in a while for directions. The forty minute walk seemed to be longer, and at this rate with all the stopping, she would be home at about eight at night. The next set of directions had her take Los Robles Avenue, which she believed was now a few blocks away from her apartment.

Fine. But be careful out there. Who knows what danger is in this city. Tyler's words echoed through her mind as the sound of cars driving past her filled the empty noise. Good thing she brought along a bottle of pepper spray and small pocket knife just in case. She passed by a few men and women, but as the night grew dark, less were seen. From a distance, Penny could see the next street she was supposed to take, and so she began to hurry up her walking. She checked her watch and figured that Tyler was about to head home by now, and she expects him to be there in half an hour.

She was walking in front of an apartment building when she heard the faintest noise, but was able to catch her attention. Pausing in the middle of the sidewalk, she tried to listen for it again, but nothing happened. Penny resumed walking when she heard another sound, a little louder than before. Her heart started to beat faster in her chest and many thoughts flew in her mind.

"Help." A broken voice croaked and her head shot up every where to look for the person who asked for her help. She turned her head to the side and back, but she couldn't see anyone near her. "Help me."

"Where are you?" Penny called out as she ran around the street to find the person in dire of help. Maybe it's a prank. Maybe it's a trap. Maybe someone's hurt. She couldn't think straight, and began listening for the voice again. "I'm over here." She heard the voice coming from the alley next to the apartment complex so she followed it. Her hand was inside her purse, clutching the pepper spray in case it was to trick her.

Instead of finding a man waiting in the shadows, she was shocked to find a beaten and almost half dead man lying in a pool of blood as he tried to gasp for air. She ran to the man and tried to move him to see where the blood was coming out of, hoping to stop the bleeding that was still happening. "Where's the wound?" She asked him as his breathing became faster and quicker.

There were was a knife wound on his stomach where a gush of blood came out. His face was full of scratches and his right eye was swollen shut. His clothes were torn apart and a couple of brushes ran down his head and hands. There was a long cut on his left leg and he was clutching on her shirt, pulling her close to him. "Someone help! Please!" Penny called out. Why did her battery have to die today?

She placed her hands on the wound and pressed down to try to stop the bleeding. He groaned in pained as she pressed down and she told him to calm down. "Mister, it's going to be okay. Stay with me here. My name's Penny. Shh... Calm down. What's your name?"

The blood was getting everywhere but she couldn't care. He was in so much pain that she started to cry. "Sh-sh."

He wasn't able to say his name. Penny's head turned to the right immediately after hearing someone run to their direction. A man was holding a phone next to his ear as he told the other line about how there's a man who was hurt, and she could tell he had called 911.

"Help is on the way. You're going to be okay." Penny reassured him as she tried to stifle her sobs.

"Sheldon." The man said as his breathing became erratic and he started to wheeze. "My.. Name... Is... Sheldon." He was going into convulsions and Penny had no idea what to do now.

"Sheldon. Stay with me. Don't close your eyes. They're coming, the ambulance. Hold on a little longer. Don't close your eyes! You're going to make it through. Hang on." Penny applied more pressure as the other man who called 911 sat next to her and put his hands on top of hers to help stabilize the wound. She prayed that the ambulance would come faster as she could feel his life slipping away right before her eyes.

As much as she asked him not to, Sheldon closed his eyes and stilled under their touch and efforts to help him.


	2. Healing

"You cannot easily drop a person out of your mind. Especially when that person has left a special mark on your heart."

-Anonymous

When Penny was sixteen, she would regularly sneak out if her house once her parents were finally asleep. In high school, she got mixed with wrong crowd, the one that included the jocks, drinkers, and the experimentalists. Because of her enchanting looks, boys were all over her, and it wasn't unusual for her to get invite to house parties the senior class would throw every now and then.

She usually went with a friend, and enjoyed herself with a glass full of vodka or some kind of drink. That's how Penny was introduced to alcohol. The upperclassmen were doing it, and she felt obligated to as well. After all, she was a sophomore invite to an all senior party, and she was fortunate enough that it wasn't a rouse or a prank. Penny thought of that because a year ago, her friend Mike came to one and ended up getting stripped down to his underwear and tied around the lamp-post in front of the school.

There was one particular party that was embedded in her mind for maybe as long as she lived. She remembered dancing with another guy friend named John, when someone slipped a little too much alcohol in her red solo cup. Penny wasn't thinking straight and was very drunk. She slurred her words and her inhibitions lessened gradually throughout the night. One of the seniors thought it would be funny to mess with her friend and so he dragged John, who was smart enough to not consume alcohol, away from the intoxicated blonde.

Penny saw them circling the defenseless boy as they began insulting and throwing garbage at him. She was too drunk to stop them before it was too late. John had called them out and one thing led to another. What she remembered that morning was her parents picking her up from the police station and informing her that John was almost beaten to death and currently in a coma.

A part of her felt like it was her fault for inviting him to tag along. She should have been responsible for her actions, and now one of her dearest friends would probably never wake up again. Penny would visit him in the hospital as often as she could, and cried her eyes out beside his unconscious body. She had no idea how he felt as he was being kicked and punched. She didn't do anything, and he probably felt betrayed and alone.

If she could go back and change things, the first thing was to never take that first sip of alcohol. Penny would often hide a bottle of liquor from her parents and indulge in it while they were away. If she hadn't been drinking that night, John would still be living and breathing at this second. She was lucky that his parents didn't blame her for his death but how she consumed alcohol. They were lying, she felt. It was her fault and they knew it.

The rest of high school flew fast and next thing you know, here she was holding a man who was in the same state as John was before he passed away, and she wanted him to live.

"Keep pressure on the wound, he's still bleeding a lot." Penny instructed the man, who she now knew as Mark, as she moved up to place her head on her chest. She couldn't hear a heartbeat and clock was ticking.

CPR. Penny could do that. She distinctively remembered health class one day, and how she was taught how to kneeling down next to Sheldon's body, she pressed her hands down on the area where his heart was and push up and down as hard as she can. She leaned into his face and blew air into his opened mouth, before attempting to restart his heart again.

With the pressure she was applying on his chest, Sheldon would have woken up with more bruises. Penny was not about to let him die in the cold streets, mentally cursing the ambulance that was still on its way. She was doing her best, alternating pumping and blowing.

By the fourth try, she felt his mouth twitch when she placed hers over it. Penny shook him gently. "Sheldon?" In the corner of her eye, she saw his arm jerk, so she shook his body again. That's when his eyes suddenly opened as he inhaled sharply through his mouth, causing Penny to smile. He was groaning and moaning in pain and that's when the EMTs finally arrived. She cradled his body in her arms. "You're going to be okay." She whispered to him.

Her eyes were locked into Sheldon's face, as he tried to sit up from the concrete. An emergency responder pulled her away as another one pulled a gurney out of the ambulance. "Ma'am, we'll take it from here." The responder tugged on her arm gently, wanting her to leave him in better hands. As she was being pulled away, Penny watched as Sheldon was strapped on the gurney before they wheeled him into the vehicle and the sirens blared as it drove off.

A few minutes later, a police car pulled in front of Penny before a large built man came out of the driver's side with a notepad. "Good evening, miss. My name is Officer Garson and I would like to ask a couple of questions about this incident if that is fine with you." Penny nodded, not making eye contact with the police officer. "Alright. For starters, what is your name?"

"Penny. Penny Queen." Garson wrote her name down on his notepad as Penny crossed her arms, still covered in Sheldon's blood. She was glad that he seemed fine and on his way for professional help, but she didn't enjoy being pulled away without checking if he was really okay.

"Do you know the victim's name?" He asked, tilting his head to meet Penny's stare.

"Sheldon, but that's all I know. I just saw him laying on the streets half-dead. Never met or seen him before."

He wrote her words down. "Alright. Did you see how this began?" Penny shook her head and sighed. She really needed to shower, change, and sleep. It was one hell of a day. Her first official day in Pasadena ended in her being covered in blood, and luckily, it wasn't hers. "You want to me to call someone for you?"

"Can you take me to go see him?" She said without hesitation in her voice.

Garson checked his watch. "My shift ends in a half an hour. I suppose I could take you where he's being kept. Hop in, but do you need me to call someone? Friend? Family? Let them know you're alright before they think you're missing?"

"I suppose." Garson smiled and handed Penny his phone before starting the car and pull out into the streets.

The phone ringed about twice before it was finally picked up. "Hello?"

"Tyler, it's Pen." She said.

"Penny? Where are you? I was getting worried! You weren't answering your phone. You were supposed to come home hours ago and I thought you just got lost. What happened?" Tyler sounded very concerned, and she loved that about him. The guys she usually dated would care a bit if she was late by an hour or so.

"Listen, I'm fine. My phone died. I missed the bus and I was walking home when I heard this guy calling for help. He was badly beaten and I tried to stabilize him. He was knocked out before the ambulance came so I had to give him CPR and I'm on my way to see him now, make sure he's okay and well." Penny closed her eyes when she began remembering how traumatized and hurt he looked. She could still hear him gasping for the air that came easily to her.

"Wow. Pen, that's a heroic thing you did there. But just come home. He's with the people who can help him and I just want you beside me." Tyler said, and Penny sighed.

"Thanks, but I really want to make sure." Garson whispered to Penny telling her to put it on speaker phone.

"Sir, we are a couple blocks away. I'll be happy to drive Penny home after she sees the man."

She smiled for the first time after the whole situation and mouthed a thank you to the officer. "I'll see you later."

"Be safe. I'll wait all night for you." Tyler then hung up the phone.

Garson parked the car in the lot and the two made their way inside the hospital. Before exiting the car, he let Penny borrow his sweater to cover up her blood stained uniform, which she gladly accepted.

He approached the front desk where a nurse was typing on the computer. "Hi, my name is Officer Garson, and I'm looking for a patient who was recently checked in. Guy's name is Sheldon."

"What's his last name?" The nurse asked.

The cop glanced behind Penny, who shrugged her shoulders. "We have no clue, but he was probably wheeled in a half an hour ago. Looked like he was mugged or something." The nurse nodded and told him to give her a second as she pulled up the patient they were describing.

"We have a Sheldon Cooper in surgery right now. Lacerations along his torso and a swollen eye apparently. Few broken bones and lots of cuts. Yikes, I can only imagine what this guy has been through." She said, reading it from the computer screen. "Are you related to him?"

They shook their heads before Penny stepped forward. "I kind of brought him back to life when he passed out."

"That's incredible, because I overheard if he wasn't resuscitated back there he wouldn't have made it. The poor guy suffered a blow to the head and they're afraid part of his skull is fractured."

"Is he going to be okay?" Penny asked.

"You saved him just in time, hon. But I can't say. Doctors are still with him back there. If you would like to, you can sit over there and wait until they come out with updates." The nurse pointed towards the waiting room where a two bespectacled people sat impatiently. Penny nodded. "Alright. Well I hope he's fine."

Penny and Garson approached the waiting area and took a seat next to the big door which had all the hospital rooms on the other side. It was only the two of them, plus the other two who looked just as worried. The short guy was standing up and tapping his foot on the floor with his arms crossed, while the frumpy looking lady seemed like she had been crying as she sat on the chairs.

They were a few feet away from them, and Penny could overhear their conversation. She pretended that she wasn't paying any attention, but she had to listen when they said the name Sheldon.

"I can't believe this is happening. It's my fault. He walked me to my car that was parked a few blocks down the street and he could have been followed from there." The woman started to sob, and the man sat beside her, wrapping his arms around her body.

"It's not your fault Amy. The only one who is responsible for this is the man who did this for him. If only I wasn't gone for a few hours, if only I had stayed home with him, maybe this wouldn't have happened."

Amy patted the shorter man's knee. "The only thing we can do is wait until the doctor has something for us. Where are Howard and Bernadette?"

"On their way. He's in so much pain and if he wasn't asleep, he'll probably complain about being in the hospital." He tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but failed.

Penny watched them two talking and guessed that the woman, Amy, was probably either his girlfriend or sister, and the short dude sounded like his roommate.

"How'd they find him?" Amy asked, as she sat up straighter, clutching tissues in her hand.

"Cops said a woman and a man dialed 911 before she resuscitated him when he blacked out." The short guy answered. "That woman, she saved Sheldon's life. I should have told the cops that I wanted to thank her personally."

Penny smiled, but didn't say a word.

"Yes, Leonard. Without her, he would be gone and I would be all alone again." Amy cried again, and Leonard tried to comfort her.

Garson leaned into Penny's ear. "Want me to tell them or you?" He whispered.

"Not yet." She simply said.

It wasn't about two hours later when the doctor entered the waiting area with, looking at a clipboard with notes and charts attached to it. "My name is Dr. Barnett... Leonard?" She said after she looked up and realized who was in front of her. "Wow, I haven't seen you in a while."

"Hello." Leonard said shyly and quietly.

"Are you here for a Sheldon Cooper?" Penny's head jolted up and listened to what she was saying. She saw Leonard nod as the doctor began flipping through the pages of her clipboard. "Good news is he's alive and breathing properly, and we think he'll wake up soon. No brain damage whatsoever, although he did suffer a terrible concussion and when he wakes up, he'll probably have short-term amnesia. His heart stopped beating because of all the stress that was in him. What else, oh! Bad news is he has to wear a cast on his left hand. He lost a lot of blood from the gash along his stomach, but not enough that he can't survive. We managed to fix that part of him. Swollen right eye, and minor cuts and bruises along his body. He suffered hell through this beating."

They soaked up the information given before Amy spoke. "When can we see him?"

"He's asleep right now; we had to anesthetized him when they wheeled him in for us to work on that laceration. I'll say that in maybe an hour, it'll wear off. We didn't give him that much." Dr. Barnett glanced over to Leonard. "And how do you know the patient, Leonard?"

"He's the crazy guy that I'm living with. The one I talked to you about when we were... You know... Together." He avoided eye contact with her. "Can we see him now?"

"Sure. Sure. Follow me." She led the two down the hallway where they disappeared.

Penny was still sitting on the chair. Garson tapped her lightly on the shoulder. "Didn't you want to check up on him, too?" She nodded. "Then, why are you still here and why didn't you tell them you were the woman that saved their friend's life."

"I thought I would be barging into their lives. I don't even know the guy and now I'm here wanting to see him. It feels wrong. I did my job and I should go home now. None of my business to follow-up." Penny, exhausted and worn out, didn't know what she was talking about.

Garson sighed. "He owes his life to you for saving him. At least introduce yourself to him. If I was him, I would want to know who gave me CPR after collapsing. Come on." He stood up and held his hand out. Penny looked up and graciously accepted it, and pulled herself off the seat.

Dr. Barnett approached the front desk and the two walked towards her. "Excuse me, what room is Sheldon Cooper being held at?" Penny asked.

"Are you related to or know him? We can't just let anyone enter inside their hospital room-"

"She's the woman who saved your patient's life back in the alley." The nurse interrupted her and gave Penny a smile. "She wants to make sure he's alright."

"Um, okay. But you have to get past the other two that came in already. If they let you in, great. They don't then it's okay. We'll email you an update or something. By the looks of it, you'll probably see him."

"Thank you." They began to make their way down the hallway when Dr. Barnett stopped them.

"You did a great job at resuscitating him. If it weren't for you, he would have been dead. So, thank you."

Garson turned to Penny who waved goodbye to the doctor. They reached Sheldon's room, which had a small window on the door. Penny peeked her head in and saw Amy holding Sheldon's hand while Leonard talked on the phone. She overheard him say that he'll leave in a few minutes before hanging up.

Penny pressed her ear close to the door. "Howard and Bernadette's tire blew out on their way here. I'm going to pick them up. You sure you don't want to come along? He'll probably won't wake up while we're gone. You know how stubborn he is. If he wanted to, he'll wake up next month." She heard Leonard say, and Amy mumbled something that she couldn't make out. "Your choice. I'll be back. Text me if anything happens."

She stood up and pretended she wasn't eavesdropping when Leonard exited out of the room. He gave her a slight nod before moving on. Penny peeked her head in again, only to retract when Amy opened the door. "Excuse me, miss." She said, then Amy followed Leonard's path.

"You should go in." Garson suggested. Penny bit the inside of her cheek as she reached the door handle and opened it.

Her foot stepped inside, as she examined the room. His heart rate monitor was the only machine present, and he had an IV needle on his arm. Sheldon's eye was still swollen and his cuts were still there. Penny glanced down to his hand where he now had a cast in it. Instead of his torn up clothes, he was now wearing a hospital gown, and looked peaceful as he slept.

Penny sat down next to the bed, and stared at his non-moving body. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he brought his hand up to his chest as he stirred on the bed. "Sheldon?"

With the sound of his name, Sheldon cautiously opened his eyes, inspecting the room he was in. He stopped when his eyes met Penny as she gave him a small wave with her hand. "Do you need anything?"

He licked his lips. "Water." Sheldon, with a voice raspy and low, requested.

Penny got out of her chair and walked to the water cooler, getting a cup for Sheldon. She then made her way back and helped him sit up more to take a sip. Once Sheldon laid down on his bed again, he tried to move his hands, which seemed painful to watch as he groaned with every movement. He turned to her again. "Who are you?"

"My name's Penny."

Sheldon coughed. "Do I know you?"

She paused for a second, wanting to come up with an easy explanation of what happened. Penny did overhear Dr. Barnett informing them of temporary memory loss. "Umm, I was walking home from work a few hours ago when you called out for help. I followed the sound of your pleas and that's when I found you laying down on the ground so helplessly. You were most likely mugged out there. Do you remember any of this?" Sheldon shook his head. "Okay. Well, I-um we, there was another guy who came to us, tried to help you. Then your heart stopped beating and I was afraid that it would have been too late. I administered CPR on you, and now you're here."

Penny, who was still standing beside his bed, took a seat next to him. Sheldon followed her movements with weary eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, only having his head face the door as Leonard and Amy entered the hospital room. Penny turned around and gave a soft smile. "Hi, um, who are you?" Amy asked, approaching the mysterious woman sitting next to her boyfriend.

"I'm Penny. I see Sheldon has more company, so I better head out." When she started to stand up, Sheldon softly gripped her wrist and gazed at her face.

He slowly pulled her down back to her seat. "Please, stay." He then turned his head forward to look at the group in front of him. "Who are you?"

"You don't recognize me?" Leonard inched closer to Sheldon's bed. "It's me, Leonard. I'm your roommate. That's Amy, your girlfriend. Howard and Bernadette are over there. Raj is currently in San Francisco attending a symposium." He pointed to each and every one of their friends.

Sheldon looked at them with a blank expression, trying to remember any of his so-called friends. Nothing was coming up. "I apologize. I seem to have no recollection of any of you whatsoever."

"So, Penny? Um, how do you know Sheldon?" Leonard asked, not noticing that she was the woman behind him and Amy earlier in the waiting room.

"Are you the one who brought Sheldon back to life?" Amy walked forward, standing next to Penny. She nodded, and Amy smiled, brought her arms around the blonde's body, hugging her for all she's worth. "Thank you so much! Without you, Sheldon wouldn't be here in front of us at this second. Even though his memory's impaired, at least we still have him."

Penny returned Amy's tight hug and chuckled. "You're welcome." She yawned, looking down to Sheldon, who was glancing at her. "Listen, I know you guys want to help Sheldon. I have to leave now since it's getting late and my boyfriend is waiting for me back at our apartment." She made her way to the exit, not before receiving hugs from his friends and a bunch of 'thank you's.

"Thank you again, Penny." Sheldon called out for her as she left the room.

Garson took her home past midnight.

As soon as she entered the apartment, she dashed into the shower and scrubbed herself clean. Penny threw away her Cheesecake Factory uniform, seeing that it was stained with blood and unable to clean it off. Afterwards, she ate a late dinner with Tyler, but stayed quiet throughout the meal. Once she brushed her teeth, climbed into bed, and kissed Tyler goodnight, she closed her eyes. That night, she dreamed of herself saving Sheldon's life. The difference was that he did not make it and blamed herself for not trying hard enough.

Penny didn't know this, but seeing him in the hospital would not be the last time they have an encounter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not 100% happy with how this came out, but I tried my best to explain things. I'm no medical professional, so I apologize if I made any mistakes during the CPR and hospital scene. I also apologize for any grammar and spelling mistakes. Thank you all for who read and reviewed. I'll update soon after I proofread the next chapter thoroughly.
> 
> And just to clarify to some people who are confused, the group has never met Penny before until this chapter. The characters will also do things that are OOC for them, just giving you a heads up.
> 
> It's not the end for our story yet so stick around.


	3. Hello, again.

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it."

-Helen Keller

The alarm clock resting on top of the nightstand beside their bed began to make that irksome noise, causing Penny to wake up from her deep sleep. She grunted, and then reached over to the nightstand to shut the clock off before lying back down on the mattress. Pulling the covers up her body, she heard the bedroom door open and the creaking of the floorboards. The steps grew louder and louder, and it was making it harder for her to go back to sleep.

Suddenly, Penny felt someone jump on top of her and attack her face with kisses. Tyler was wrestling her on the bed, laughing as he watched her trying to escape from his strong hold. Unfortunately for him, Penny was the master of junior rodeo, winning competitions starting when she was in fifth grade. Though Tyler was larger, Penny was able to flip him over on his back as she quickly straddled his legs together in mere seconds with ease.

She held his wrists above his head and smirked. "Now why would you wake me up this early in the morning?"

Tyler smiled. "I just wanted to hear your laugh again. You had one hell of a night, and I was trying to lighten your mood."

Penny kissed his forehead and then his nose. "Why would I laugh when I only got six hours of sleep?" She released her boyfriend, who helped her out of the bed. "I forgot, I have to work the lunch shift today. Can you drop me off at Enterprise so I can get a car for myself? I'm not going to be happy if I have to walk home again."

"There is another reason for why I wanted to wake you up." Tyler said, and Penny was confused. He dug something out of his pockets, and once he got a hold of it, he presented it to the blonde. "It's all yours."

In his hands were what Penny presumed to be car keys. "Are you serious?" She stared at him, open-mouthed. "Please do not tell me you bought me a car."

"Guess I can't say anything now because of that." Penny inched closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, then pulled herself closer to him.

"Thank you. What car did you get me?" Tyler reached down to hold her hand as he led her to the living room which had a window overlooking the parking lot of their apartment complex. He pointed to a spotless silver Honda accord. It was better than her last vehicle that she used back in Omaha. She was speechless. Penny wanted to work for her things, but having Tyler buy a car for her caused her having an overwhelming feeling of happiness.

"It's also an apology gift for making fun of your acting career. Now you can get to auditions and to work safely and faster." Penny turned around to face him. She held the side of his face with her small tender hands and pulled him down for another kiss. "As much as I want to stay with you, I have to go. That car took a bite out of my paycheck and I need to work longer hours now."

"Okay, but we're not done yet." With one last kiss, Tyler went ahead and showered as Penny admired her brand new car from above.

Cruising down the streets of Pasadena with her windows down, Penny sang along to the current song playing on the radio. Even though she did not get as much sleep as she wished, Penny was in high spirits. She adored Tyler more now that he had bought her a car despite wanting to rent one herself until she could afford one. Before she left for work, she phoned her manager at the restaurant. She told him about what happened last night and that she ruined her uniform. The manager was very understanding, and praised Penny for her actions. He was to give her a brand new uniform that was smaller than her old one and fitted her body properly for free. She made sure she sounded happy over the phone, not really wanting to wear that dreaded clothing anymore.

Her next step in California was to hire an agent to organize auditions. A friend of Penny recommended one specific agent that she was sure would get the job done. Penny was meeting her over coffee next week, and discuss about her blossoming career. She spent most of her time growing up dreaming of a well-known celebrity, the ones that get stopped in the middle of the streets to ask for an autograph. She even had a speech ready for when she won a prominent award like an Emmy. Penny also dreamed about having her name present on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and being interviewed on late night shows. She dreamed that one day she will prove everyone who thought her acting career was a joke and she'll never be famous wrong.

Penny didn't want to grow up and just be like the everyday women. She wanted a life full of adventures and loved taking risks. Moving down to California was one of the biggest risks she had made, and so far, it's not so bad. She was never going to miss the cold winters and never ending snowfall. Before she left Omaha, they were expecting seven inches of snow, and though she did not mind getting her hands dirty, shoveling in the freezing air was not for her. One winter from many years ago, Penny's family lost power and heat for almost a week after a huge snow storm happened in their city. She remembered her mother making hot chocolate for her and her siblings, then gathered in the living room sitting down in front of their working gas fireplace. Her father would take Penny and her brother along with him to cut down lumber from the trees that grew in their property. The family bonded and became closer during the week without power. Penny learned more about her sister, like how she loved horror movies and enjoyed catching fireflies during the summer, and her brother, who wanted to become a police officer.

It's not that Penny wasn't interested in her siblings' interest. It was because growing up, they regularly fought about anything and would spend most of their free time away from each other. Now older, Penny's sister was a kindergarten teacher and now married to her high school sweetheart. A couple of years later, Penny became an aunt to her sister's son. Though her brother had high prospects in life, he was not as fortunate as his sisters. His life spiraled downwards after cooking and selling meth, and suffering alcoholism, something that Penny was almost at the verge of before stopping herself awhile back. He was still living with their parents before entering rehab and has been there ever since.

Through their ups and downs, Penny loves her family. They promised to protect her and always had her back. It was a challenge and knew it was a huge risk, but her family supported the decisions she made to pursue her acting career. They always knew their little Penny was a dreamer from the start.

Penny parked her car as close as she can from the Cheesecake Factory. She silently wished that today at work would be better than yesterday, not wanting to endure After turning off the engine and exiting the vehicle, she walked to the restaurant and entered through the side door. Her manager Will greeted her with a huge grin across his face and Penny giggled before coming closer to him.

"There's the heroine who saved a young man's life!" Will exclaimed as he applauded her, causing the nearby staff to turn their heads and listen to their conversation. He faced everyone and pointed at the blonde standing next to him. "Everyone, Penny here last night has done something last night that we should admire her for."

Penny blushed. "No need to say it out loud Will. I'd like my uniform please."

"Oh, I totally forgot about that. Give me a second." He walked into his office and Penny picked up her card from the wall to scanned herself in. Will came back with a neatly folded uniform in his hands and gave them to Penny. "Go change and have a great shift today, Penny."

"Here is your southwest chicken sandwich with extra mayo and your tropical smoothie, miss." Penny said, placing the woman's food and drink in front of her on the table. "And for the little one, macaroni and cheese with extra cheese along with your chocolate milk." She handed the child his plate, only having him grab a handful of the macaroni to throw on the floor making a mess.

"I'm so sorry. Here let me." The woman stood up and took some of the napkins out of the dispenser.

"No, it's alright. I'll do it." Penny smiled and left the table momentarily, returning with supplies to clean up the food. "How old is he?" She asked as she wiped down the floor, looking up to the customer who was still standing.

"He's turning two in a month." The woman turned when the little boy started to call for her. Penny watched as she picked up her son to clean off the cheese in his hands. "His name is Damien, like his father."

Penny noticed he was not around and did not want to ask. The woman knew she was curious, so she settled Damien back down on his high chair. "His father passed away before he was born. Car accident, died at the scene." She struggled to hold back tears. "I'm Emily, by the way. Thank you again for the food and sorry for the mess. You're a waitress, not a janitor."Damien waved at Penny with his small fingers and she waved back before leaving to the computer.

Another waitress was there talking on the phone, and when she hung up the phone, she turned to Penny. "Excuse me, Penny, is it?"

She nodded. "Listen, I have to go home now and I only have one table left to serve. Can you please take over for me? I'll pay you for it."

"Sure. No problem." Penny said, and the waitress led her to the table.

Her eyes grew wide when she noticed the two sitting down across from each other, listening to them argue about Star Wars. The other waitress told them that Penny would be taking over before leaving. She knew them back at the hospital and was surprised to see them again. "Hello, I'm Penny. What would you like to order?" She introduced herself like always.

"I'm Leonard, that's Howard." Leonard pointed to the guy with the bowl cut. "We met last night."

"Oh, that's where I know you from!" She knew it even before they told her. "How's your friend, Sheldon?"

"He's still at the hospital with little memory of who he is." Howard responded. "But between you and me, that's a good thing." They both slightly chuckled.

"I don't understand." Penny said, confused.

Leonard sighed. "Our Sheldon is a bit..."

"Neurotic." Howard interrupted and Leonard nodded.

"Wow." That was all Penny could say. "Well, I hope he gets better soon." She took Leonard and Howard's orders before walking back to the kitchen to place them. She came back to Emily and Damien with their bill, surprised to see that the kind generous woman left a $50 tip for her. Penny collected the boy's food and returned to their table a couple of minutes later.

For some reason, Penny wanted to see Sheldon again. She thought back to the incident with John, and felt sorry for both. Even though Sheldon survived his ordeal, he lost his memory temporarily. That was a good thing since it was not permanently, but what if it never comes back. His two friends sounded like they were making fun of him and how he is. She has never met the man and know how he was like, but she wasn't comfortable with them joking around while their friend is in pain.

A half an hour later, Leonard and Howard finished their meals and called Penny over for their check. She caught Leonard sneaking glances of her, and gave him a smile when they made eye contact. Thankfully, she received a good tip from the two. They were both pushing their chairs in when Leonard stepped forward. "Do you want to see him? It's seems like you want to catch up and see how he's doing."

Penny was about to say yes. "No, it's fine. Just send him my best wishes for a fast recovery." Dammit, she thought to herself. "Do they have a clue about who did this to him?"

Howard shook his head. "Not yet, but he did manage to steal Sheldon's wallet and the police are monitoring his credit card activity for when that bastard decides to use it. They'll catch him soon enough."

"Okay. Well, thank you for coming and have a nice evening." Penny said before walking away.

"Captain's log, stardate 41153.7. Our destination is planet Deneb Four, beyond which lies the great unexplored mass of the galaxy. My orders are to examine Farpoint, a starbase built there by the inhabitants of that world. Meanwhile, I am becoming better acquainted with my new command, this Galaxy Class USS Enterprise. I am still somewhat in awe of its size and complexity. As for my crew, we are short in several key positions, most notably a first officer, but I am informed that a highly experienced man, one Commander William Riker, will be waiting to join our ship at our Deneb Four destination." Sheldon watched the small television screen from the corner of the room as he ate his sandwich that Amy had brought him.

He was still in pain, and rather not talk to anyone but watch reruns of The Next Generations. The doctors have checked up on him several times throughout the day, and concluded that he'll recover quickly. Sheldon was relieved because he was getting tired of laying down on the bed and the food served at the hospital was bland and tasteless. A part of him was saying to get out now when he saw the syringes and IV needles, as well as when he heard coughing or sneezing from outside.

Doctors think that he will probably get his memory back gradually in the upcoming days, but said it could take weeks or maybe over a month. He told his friends that he remembers his family members and where he was born and raised in. Sheldon could not remember his profession, his likes and dislikes, and his routine and schedule. He put on Star Trek because it felt right, and was hooked on the first episode he watched. He doesn't recall any of his friends, but by the looks of it, he didn't have many.

Amy introduced herself as his girlfriend and talked about how they met and who each one of his friends are. She seemed to take advantage of his memory loss to hold his hand and kiss him on his cheek, saying it's for comfort, without having to flinch or move. Only as the day progressed, he was getting the sense of who he is. When Amy tried to kiss him again, Sheldon reminded her of how he doesn't appreciate public displays of affection. An hour after that, he began complaining about how he was missing his work and that his equations written on his whiteboards were not going to solve themselves.

"You will agree, Data, that Starfleet's orders are difficult?... Difficult? Simply solve the mystery of Farpoint Station... As simple as that... Farpoint Station. Even the name sounds mysterious..." Sheldon's attention drifted to the sound of the door opening, with Leonard and Howard entering inside.

"Hey, buddy. How are you feeling?" Leonard asked, making his way to the chair beside him.

Sheldon placed his food on the table next to the bed. "I am a bit uncomfortable eating with this cast on. My head hurts and every time I move, it is quite painful. Other than that, I seem to be regaining some of my memories back. Look, I'm watching Next Generation and I remember the time we headed up to Vasquez Rocks, dressed up as Starfleet officers, and Leonard's vehicle getting stolen. We walked under the scorching heat of the sun, and having garbage thrown at us."

"Oh, yeah. I remember that, too." Howard said, reminiscing the time when it happened and wishing his mother was there with them so they could hide under her shadow. "Anyways, do you remember anything specifically about us?"

"Clarify your statement, please."

"Um, like do you remember any events that happened between you and me only?"

Sheldon thought for a moment. "I do recall us having an argument that led to a nude revenge wiggle due to a parking spot."

"Good, now you're getting some of them back."

"I still do not appreciate having your bare buttocks on my spot. It cost me a lot to have it washed and decontaminated." Sheldon was surprised that he suddenly remembered about his spot on the couch. If my life were expressed as a function on a four-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, that spot, at the moment I first sat on it, would be (0,0,0,0), he said years ago.

Howard made his way around Sheldon's bed. "Guess who we saw back at the Cheesecake Factory this afternoon?"

Sheldon paused, but when he opened his mouth to answer, Howard spoke. "Penny was there."

"That is not fair. You propose a guessing game, yet you don't give me enough time to guess." Sheldon pouted.

"Yup, he's back." Howard mumbled to himself.

"I may be the one with the temporary memory loss, but you are forgetting about my Vulcan hearing, Howard." Sheldon said, catching up on what he mumbled. "But anyways, how is she?"

"Well, she says that she wished you get better soon, and that's about it." Leonard answered.

Sheldon frowned. "Did she ask to see me?"

"I asked her, but she wanted me to give you that message instead."

For some reason, Sheldon was upset. He wanted to speak with her ever since he woke up with Penny right beside him. She seems to be a caring and kind person, and he owes so much to her after she saved him. He wondered if after being discharged from the hospital, Sheldon could see Penny at the Cheesecake Factory. He didn't have her number, and barely knows anything about her, so meeting her at work was the only way to talk to her again.

"Leonard?" Sheldon asked, turning his head right to look at him.

"Yes?"

"How soon can I leave this place? I do not want to spend time here any longer with all the possible deadly pathogens being housed in this building."

**Author's Note:**

> The first few chapters will give you some background of the characters in this universe


End file.
